The Night of broken Souls
by Neiroel
Summary: After Gil-Galad died, Glorfindel is wounded and Elrond tries to save him but he has to pay a terrible price. What can save the Half-elf and the fate of Middle earth?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Thanks, **Morwen80** for beta-reading this story.

I wrote this in February but forgot it and found this yesterday between my other fanfics. I hope you enjoy reading it!

Please review and tell me what you think, a simple 'I liked it' makes my day.

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The night of broken souls

He should have known it would happen. He should have been prepared but he wasn't.

Gil-galad, High-king of the elves, king of the Noldor, his leader, his best friend, his father was dead.

Many had died in the war but as he thought that everything was over and the war was won, Sauron made his last move and burnt the High king to ash.

Shortly after that Sauron perished but Elrond felt no joy. He led Isildur, who had the One ring, to the heart of Mount Doom to destroy it, but no matter how much he tried to convince Isildur to do it, he didn't. Isildur pushed Elrond aside, crashed a few of his ribs in the process and Elrond nearly fell into the fire himself.

But all these physical wounds didn't matter to him, he didn't even feel them.

Elrond knelt before the corpse of Gil-galad. His skin was burnt; he could see his bones and flesh. It was a horrible sight.

Elrond hung his head in despair, he was a failure. He failed to protect his king, he was a depraved friend, he was a bad leader for he didn't offer his people comfort in such bad times, he failed his patients who were waiting for a healer to ease their pain.

He got up and went to the tents where the wounded lay.

In the tent was silence. The man had a terrible gash on his stomach and had lost a lot of blood. He used his healing powers to make sure the man would survive.

The day passed and the evening went by. As the night fell, Elrond was exhausted; he spent nearly all of his healing powers and energy to save lives. Only one tent was over, healers came in and out with desperate expressions it was clear that the patient in it hadn't got a great chance of survival.

He went into the tent and was terrified to see Glorfindel lying in it. He went to him to check his pulse; it was very weak but steady. Then he checked on the wound, it was an ugly stab wound in the abdomen and just the stab wouldn't have rendered him so helpless. There had to be something he missed. As he looked again, he saw the unmistakable clues which indicated that the wound was poisoned. Elrond smelled the wound. He knew the poison, it wouldn't kill fast so he had plenty of time to search for an antidote but the effects of the poison would be very painful. Luckily Elrond had spotted the herb which would work as an antidote earlier in the forest so would just have to find it again.

He walked out and smiled tiredly at the concerned healers, as they looked at him questioningly, he said:

"Glorfindel is going to live. I know an antidote against the poison and the herb I need is in the forest. I saw it earlier. Don't worry I'll get it now and everything will be fine."

The healers nodded and went back to help others.

Elrond went into the forest and searched for the herb, he had seen it before, he had to find it. After another five minutes of desperate searching, Elrond found it and went to the camp to heal Glorfindel.

As he reached the end of the forest, an Orc crept up on him and attacked Elrond. Elrond blocked the blow and kicked the Orc in the chest but it easily dodged and tried to stab Elrond with his filthy sword.

Elrond, who had no weapon, made a quick sidestep and the knife just made a long scratch on his side but the Orc was not irritated by this, he was one of the few remaining higher trained Orcs.

They were more intelligent; therefore better in fighting and stronger than normal Orcs.

Elrond, though he was keeping up the fight and tried to defeat the Orc, knew that soon he would not have enough strength left to defeat the Orc.

He knew if he wanted to defeat the Orc, he had to do it soon.

As Elrond's mind was occupied with thinking of a strategy, the Orc already had one and attacked Elrond again.

His dirty blade found its way into Elrond's chest. Elrond gasped in shock, he looked at the dirty sword embedded deeply in his chest. But he didn't feel the pain yet.

Elrond used this chance to pull the sword out of his chest and plunge it deep into the Orc's heart.

Then came the pain. It was a white, hot, agonizing pain and Elrond could do nothing but to lie on the ground and to scream in pain, hoping someone would hear him and come to his aid.

But no one came.

Elrond breathed deeply. He tried to control the pain and to get to the camp; to the tent were Glorfindel lay, to help at least him. He took the herbs in one hand and tried to stop or at least slow the blood flow with his other one. He pressed hard on the wound wincing at the pain but he didn't have another choice.

The way back was extremely painful for Elrond and as he reached the borders of the camp, he knew nearly everything was lost for him. But he didn't want to fail Glorfindel too, his best friend, he had to save Glorfindel.

Four meters until he reached Glorfindel's tent. He stood up, raising slowly but constantly. He didn't want to appear weak in his last moments and especially not in front of Glorfindel, whom he'd give the ring of air. It needed another keeper and because Elrond was dying, he had to decide, who would have to keep it.

He went into the tent, it was dark in there and much to his dismay, Glorfindel was awake and seemed to be alright.

As he approached Glorfindel, the golden haired elf said:

"Hello Elrond. I was wondering when you'd come. I am alright now but the healers say that the poison in my system will soon take over and I have to expect much pain. They also told me you were looking for an antidote, did you find one?"

Elrond nodded and said:

"I have. Now lie down, I need to apply these herbs on your wound and you'll be better very soon."

Glorfindel laid down obediently and winced slightly as Elrond removed the bandage and laid the herbs on the wound.

"It will burn slightly at first but will stop soon. If it stops, the antidote has taken effect. I will leave you now, I suggest you to sleep now, it will certainly be the best for you."

Elrond said. Glorfindel nodded and closed his eyes. Elrond got up but fell to the ground again with a cry of pain. Glorfindel immediately got up to see Elrond lying on the ground, holding his chest and crying out in pain. He removed Elrond's hands from his chest and then he saw the deep wound. He was terrified by the amount of blood on his clothing and now on the floor. He yelled for a healer and soon two came running in and were shocked to see their best healer lying on the floor in a puddle of his own blood.

They tried all they could, fed him a calming and pain killing tea but Elrond did not wake and was terribly pale. His chances for survival were very small.

Having done all they could do for Elrond, the healers left the tent quietly and left a grieving Glorfindel at his friend's side.

~4 days later~

A small group of four healers, Glorfindel, Erestor and Elrond made their way to Lothlorien. Elrond still hadn't woken and he didn't seem to wake up anytime soon. Lady Galadriel was their only hope. She was, apart from Elrond, the best healer in Middle earth and if anyone could save Elrond it was her.

They were surprised that Elrond was still alive, he had saved many souls after the battle and deserved a chance for life but he seemed devastated after the battle. Elrond was a kind soul and was always willing to help those in need but as good as these attributes were they were just as bad. He always ended up wounded, hurt or exhausted. This was how life treated those who wanted to help, it runs away and the heroes die. A hero is only a hero when he has done a sacrifice to archive something. Elrond sacrificed his life to save those, who were wounded.

Not a single elf under Elrond's care had died after the battle, of course, he had an advantage with his healing powers but he freely gave strength and healing to everyone in need.

Not more than thirty elves had succumbed to their wounds after the battle, and now Elrond would follow them into Mandos' Halls.

Life was not fair.

Maybe Galadriel could help but Glorfindel, who never gave up and lost faith in something, began to lose hope for Elrond's survival. Galadriel was a powerful woman but could her powers bring Elrond back to health? Normally true, honest and unconditional love could do something like that. Was Galadriel really that powerful? If he'd just knew more about Elrond, was he in love with someone? If yes, could that someone save Elrond from the brink of death?

So many questions flew through Glorfindel's mind as they rode towards Lothlorien.

He glanced again at Elrond, the half elf had become terribly pale and thin, the healers managed to feed Elrond some food, but it just was not enough. They barely managed to feed him the healing broth every day.

~*~Elrond POV~*~

Elrond was lost in fevered dreams. The picture of Gil-galad being burnt to death by Sauron was appearing over and over before his eyes and again he was unable to save his best friend. Although he was just in front of him, an army of thousands of Orcs were between him and his king, he was unable to reach through their ranks, but they didn't kill him either. They left him alive an unharmed to watch friends, students, lovers, young and old, royalty or farmers, burn and die.

Then suddenly a white light breached through his dark dreams and a beautiful young elf maid came towards him. He suddenly recognized who it was: Celebrian, the young daughter of Celeborn and Galadriel, the one whom he secretly loved but he couldn't hope that his pure love he held for her could ever be returned.

Tbc


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Chapter 2 Sorry for the long wait I just didn't have the time to update.

I hope you enjoy the chapter and leave a review, a simple "I liked it" makes my day.

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It was late in the night when Celebrian heard the sound of horses in the distance; the elves were returning from seven years of war, the endless war fought against Mordor and the evil lord Sauron.  
She quickly got dressed and ran to the yard to meet her parents who were greeting the arriving elves. When she got there, she was horrified: Less than half of the elves who left seven years ago stood there now and most of them were wounded. Their faces were drawn and everyone had despair written in their eyes. If the whole thing wasn't bad enough as it was already, Gil-galad. The High king of the Noldor was nowhere to be seen. She took a closer look at their faces and studied their emotions. Nearly everyone was looking at the ground. Then it dawned on Celebrian: Gil-galad had fallen, along with so many other brave elves. But where was his herald, Elrond Peredhel? The Half-elf who had saved her and her family's life, the one who always was calm and seemed to have everything in control no matter how bad the situation was.  
Erestor was leading the troops and he also looked sad. Galadriel, her mother, seemed to have gathered as much as Celebrian had and looked with concern in her eyes at Erestor:  
"Erestor, please tell me where are Gil-galad and Elrond? Please don't tell me that we have lost both of them!"  
Erestor closed his eyes before we answered.  
"We lost king Gil-galad shortly before our victory, we nearly lost Glorfindel but Elrond found the herb which worked as an antidote against the poison. But unfortunately, Elrond got badly wounded when he was searching for that herb. He is dying and there is nothing we can do against it, we have come here to request your help, lady Galadriel."  
Galadriel nodded and thought about her next words:  
"Bring Elrond in the Healing Chambers, Celebrian and I will have a look at his wounds. My advisor will find you spaces where you can put up your tents because unfortunately we don't have enough quarters for all of you."  
To say that Celebrian was in shock was an understatement. She had always thought that Elrond was indestructible and immortal in a way no one else was, he had never been wounded or hurt in any way before. She and her mother went to a healing room to prepare everything for Elrond.  
Soon he was carried into the room, he looked terrible; beats of sweat were on his forehead and the bandage around his upper body was soaked through with fresh blood. He was unconscious although sometimes he seemed to wake up and opened his eyes to reveal the unfocused and glassy eyes, his breathing was ragged and he seemed to be in a lot of pain.  
When Celebrian searched for the light of his soul, she only saw a dim flicker and she could feel his despair.  
Galadriel pushed her daughter aside to have a look at Elrond herself. She removed the bandages to reveal the gaping wound on his chest, the long scratch at his side and she also spotted two broken rips, which luckily didn't penetrate the lungs. Besides that, Elrond was terribly thin and many parts of his body were covered in bruises.  
She sighed and began working on the long cut, cleaning it first and then stitching it, the scratch was dealt with too, she cleaned it, luckily it didn't need any stitches. The two broken rips where set back in their original position, she was happy for Elrond that he was unconscious during all of that, it would have been a really painful process otherwise.  
Days had passed and Elrond's health hadn't improved a bit. Celebrian sat at his side and wiped the beads of sweat on his forehead away with a cool cloth. She was worrying about him. She was in love with Elrond and although it wasn't her place to sit where she was sitting at the moment, she couldn't help herself but do it. She loved Elrond dearly and although or because he would never love her, she sat at his side and hoped for his love.  
No one else was sitting here, maybe because she spent most of her time at his side or because he had very few friends left.  
Erestor came twice a day to check on him and Glorfindel wanted to come but because he was still wounded, the healers wouldn't let him go.  
Elrond was going to have a hard time recovering from his wounds, not only because they were severe and because he had just enough energy to live, but he also had to fight the emotional pain of the loss of Gil-galad and so many other Elves.  
She sighed, Elrond nearly died under their care and she knew that if he didn't find a purpose of living, a sense in life, something to hope in, he would give up and his soul would wander to Mandos.  
So many Elves had already died, Celebrian wanted to do everything in her power to at least save Elrond's life. She wasn't the best healer in Lothlorien although her healing skills weren't bad. That was why she was allowed to stay at his side all day and look after him. If something happened to him, she would be there and look after him.  
She reached out with her mind to his soul again and she felt him acknowledging her.  
She felt despair and sadness in his mind, it was like the darkness of Mordor hat settled in his mind.  
She felt him trying to push her out of his mind but she refused and tried to chase some of the darkness in his mind away to give her room to speak to him, to encourage him to continue living.  
After a while she felt him giving in, even recognizing her and she felt that some of the darkness was leaving his mind.  
She now also sensed confusion and just the slightest trace of hope.  
"Elrond, Elrond please don't give in. Don't fall in despair and disappear into the darkness. I'm here, I care for you, don't leave me, please."  
Shortly after she said that, she was distracted by something in the room and she broke the connection.

The only thing Elrond felt or saw was darkness. He didn't feel the horrible pain any more, didn't hear any of the pain filled screams any more or see the terrifying battlefield. He only had darkness in front of his eyes.  
The darkness was cooling and calming although it reminded him of death and how unloved he felt. Gil-galad loved him as a father would love his son, Erestor loved him as a best friend would, but Celebrian, who he fell in love with, so many years ago, would never love him. She was too beautiful, too pure, and too perfect for a scarred and shattered soul like him.  
He suddenly felt a presence entering his mind and fearing that it was an enemy, he tried to push it out. After a long time, he grew exhausted and gave in and was surprised: The presence didn't cause a darker darkness in his mind, no it brought light, and it was pure and beautiful, like Celebrian.  
He was more surprised and confused when he heard her voice, she was telling him not to give into the darkness, to stay alive but the only words that really gave him hope were:  
"I'm here, I care for you, don't leave me, please."  
No, he wouldn't leave her; he would continue living for her, even if that meant to live millennia with a broken heart.

**tbc**


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Uhhhmmm..hi?

Sorry for not updating, I was busy... and there was Tumblr :D

This is the last chapter of this story, however if you have a fic you want me to write, then challenge me with Character, pairing, and fandom. I write about everything I know and I also write slash fics.

Enjoy the last chapter!

Celebrian softly touched Elronds cheek, it was many weeks after he had been wounded, his chest wound was almost closed and if he would be awake now, he would have been allowed to get up. But he stubbornly stayed unconscious, nothing could wake him.

They had tried so much, tried to wake him in every single way they knew and even Galadriel was lost. She couldn't go on without him in her life, she didn't even want to try.

With despair, she laid her head on the bed, on which Elrond was put, on started sobbing. There was no way out of this, not this time.

Elrond would have to die and she would fade, for a life without him was not a life Celebrian found desirable.

A pain filled groan made her stop and she looked up to see Elrond's eyes cracked open, he was returning to full consciousness!

Delighted she rushed to the other side of the room to get a glass of painkilling tea and back to the half-elf's bedside. Just as she sat on the chair again, his eyes fully opened and revealed his misty grey eyes. His gaze was clouded by pain still. relief, happiness and sorrow were easily recognisable.

"Would you like something against the pain?", asked Celebrian softly not to startle him

"Yes, please" he answered just as quietly, his voice sounding rougher.

"Can you sit up, or do you need help with it?"

Elrond slowly tried sitting up, his arms were shaking and he was breaking out in sweat but slowly and steadily he moved himself into a sitting position.

Seeing that he was still very weak, Celebrian took a soft pillow and put it behind Elronds back to support him.

"Thank you", he muttered sheepishly and Celebrian though that a blush had formed on his cheeks, but she wasn't sure, it could have been the strain from the exercise too.

She gave Elrond the cup filled with the tea he took it, draining it quickly and then mad a face at it's taste:  
"This tastes foul, why is it that everything with healing properties has to taste like an orc?", he laughed, not really meaning it as a question.

Celebrian giggled quite unladylike like and reached for the honey pot standing near by:

"I do hope very much that not everything with healing powers has the taste of orcs to you, for the divine taste of this honey will be lost on you."

She took a spoonful of honey and put it in her mouth, not caring if it was fit behaviour. Elrond laughed loudly and tried to grab a spoonful too but she was out of his reach.

"Do you really want to risk it, Elrond?" She asked, forgetting to use his title.

"Certainly",he laughed "Some things are worth the risk."

Celebrian didn't answer but took a fresh spoon, dipped it in the golden honey and held it in front of his mouth: "Open up!"

He opened his moth wide, mimicking a small child, and she put the spoon in his mouth, laughing at the way his eyes lit up when he finally tasted the sweet honey.

"No, it definitely doesn't taste like orc", he finally said with mirth in his eyes

Celebrian was sitting closer to Elrond than she ever head before, he wanted to tell her so badly how he felt about her, tell her what she had done for him but he couldn't get one word of it over his lips.

He dared leaning closer and closer, so close that their lips nearly touched. Risking his friendship with the beautiful elleth, he kissed her on the lips, and felt he freeze in place. Feeling defeated, he wanted to lay back down and he could already feel the familiar heart ache in his chest. He knew, only one word from Celebrian would have his heart breaking in pieces, it didn't matter what she said, didn't matter if she turned him down gently or if she shouted at him for being so direct.

But instead of the final shove away from her and all of his hopes and dreams, he felt her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss.

When they pulled away, Celebrian lay down, next to Elrond on the small bed, snuggling close to him. "Yes", she whispered, "Some thinks are definitely worth the risk."


End file.
